That classic, comforting nostalgic “plain ol’ black tea from when you first drank tea at all” flavor I sometimes allude to, well, this is that in spades. Like going home again in smell and taste, with maybe a little richer body than typical. A little toasty, a little sweet, just enough bitterness and tannin, just as you remember from long ago but better, somehow both smoother and less weak or watered down tasting. You know. If regular ol’ teabag black tea in restaurants was actually good. Naming it “Vintage Black” was smart.

Once in a while I absolutely crave that sort of thing, and nothing else—no fancier or “better” premium additions or usually tempting flavors—will do. This would be ideal for those times. Very satisfying and a good reboot/reminder of my tea beginnings for when all the bells and whistles and hundreds of choices of tea become overwhelming. Fills an important niche for me.

It’s also, for that sort of thing, a rather pretty cup of tea. Dark and smooth and silky looking, nearly like manual pour-over coffee. Would make a great breakfast tea.

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“…you can never know everything about anything, especially something you love.”
-Julia Child on food and cooking, and I think it applies to tea as well!

note: i am currently taking a break from swapping/mail of any kind as money is rather tight. i apologize! i do love to swap but i can’t afford to right now. hopefully in a month things will change.

my cupboard includes any tea i’ve ever owned, including things i’ve sipped down, in order to facilitate swaps with people and keep a record—this way i don’t get redundant samples/order duplicates to try. if you are interested in swapping, i have a separate ever-updated list of teas i actually have on hand i can PM.

notes i generally can’t stand (at least in tea) include jasmine, rose (ok in small doses but i often find it overpowering and then everything just smells like musty old lady perfume), astringent apple (and general fruitiness really unless it’s with green tea), and chamomile (unless i’m congested or tired).

born in seoul, raised in new england and upstate new york, went to college in pittsburgh, currently in memphis with an eye toward philadelphia, portland, or asheville eventually.

i like cats, most beverages really (i also like good freshly roasted coffee, craft beer, wine, whiskey and gin-based cocktails, and soda/soft drinks like agua fresca), art (mainly writing but also visual and music) and critical theory, feminism/genderqueer politics, historiography, statistics, children’s literature and librarianship, travel, and food/cooking. also have recently gotten into weightlifting (mark rippetoe and stumptuous!) and sprint training (HIIT, plyometrics) and i love it.